Guidelines

Theses are just a few
ground rules for a quiet life.

We are about ad hoc social ideas,
ventures, and, activities not incorporated bodies, charities, and,
institutions. That means clubs, ad-hoc projects, events, whip-rounds,
"big-lunches", or, anything that is important to you.Get some inspiration

You should use WeSayWePay precisely because you’re not an
established body, but rather, because you’re a group of people with
drive and commitment, a good idea and preferably with a sensible project
manager. WeSayWePay provides temporary apparatus for individuals to
focus on projects of collective, mutual benefit or with shared aims, for
the common good.

Please continue to support established organizations or programmes.

Reduce barriers

We feel strongly that the rewards for donating and participating at this level are not just important for civic society. Working together in this way reduces barriers to civilised cooperation between individuals, groups and communities, strengthening the public square for us all. And the projects don’t all have to be deadly serious and earnest either. There are lots of fun things to get going.

Feel Good

So, what do you get out of it? Your personal pay-off for supporting and contributing donations to WeSayWePay projects is the knowledge that individuals are empowered to make change and create new ways to contribute and feel good too. From personal experience getting involved, doing something purposeful, and, at any level, making a difference, is massively rewarding.

Plan, Plan, Plan

We strongly advise you to plan well and take a look at our suggested steps. That way you’ll be sure to make your efforts a real success. A credible timetable, budget, and objective are essential. See Steps

Be nice!

Not least be respectful, lawful and constructive.

Please do not take anyone"s goodwill for granted.

Legals

WeSayWePay cannot be used to solicit investment
or loans.

Projects may not offer financial return or equity under any
circumstances.

Contributions to the project are only released when the full
amount is raised. It"s all or nothing. Which means no success, no
charges if paid through a PayPal account (i.e. not with a debit/ credit card). Fees

You will be given a 'credit' limit of £250, which as we are still in Beta, may increase over time. This level is based on factors such as how projects you are running at once, successful projects completed, conduct, etc..

General

What is WeSayWePay?

WeSayWePay is a new way of group, or 'crowd' funding for communities for projects of local or personal importance.

It’s about getting things done ourselves as people rather than exclusovely through incorporated institutions.

WeSayWePay provides the ethos and the temporary apparatus to organise and to help fund all sorts of ad hoc projects from 'big-lunches’ to flood protection - whatever is important to you and localism in your community. Get some inspiration

What is 'crowd' funding?

WeSayWePay is a pioneer in the new wave of “leveraging the Internet and social media to solicit relatively small contributions from individuals (sic)” to fund altruistic projects, or, for start-up enterprises. Crowd funding or group fundraising has arisen, enabled by technology has developed, to fund innovation and social progress, given the problem of obtaining fluid and responsive funding from institutions, both philanthropic and public, and private.

Why is the ‘All or nothing’ principle important?

We wanted to ensure that any funding contributions to a WeSayWePay project are only released when the full Project Amount is raised within its allotted timeframe. This means only successful projects are charged any fees. This provides an incentive for focused and responsible projects managers. Any contributions made to date will of course be refunded in full.

What does 'in Beta' mean?

The current website is a Beta version. This means that it is the first release of the site and we're still working on improving and developing the website. We welcome suggestions or if you experience any issues then please contact us.

We ‘soft’ launched on 1.1.11 and are targeting a public launch in April 2011.

As we in Beta we are still scaling up cautiously and taking heed of any feedback and advice. We are starting Project Managers off with a ‘credit' limit of £250, which, may increase over time, or, by arrangement only. This level is based on factors such as how many projects you are running at once, successful projects completed, conduct, etc.. If you need more let us know and we will be happy to look into it.

Does WeSayWePay need to be regulated?

WeSayWePay cannot be used to solicit investment opportunities, inducements, or loans offering a financial return or equity under any circumstances. WeSayWePay does not solicit or induce investment opportunities nor does it not offer consumer credit; neither is it a creator of e-money; nor a licensed deposit taker: All activities regulated in the UK under the Office of Fair Trading and Financial Services Authority respectively.

What does held 'in escrow' mean?

Until the whole project Amount is raised we hold all funding contributions in a segregated account – or it's said to be ‘in escrow’ - on the projects behalf until we are satisfied that it may be released.

What do you get out it?

There are many benefits to using WeSayWePay not least a trusted framework committed to making action easier in funding local projects. Project Managers demonstrate their own value and the purpose of getting something done. Supporters enable communities to thrive through their giving. Both enjoy and grow from the experience.

What fees are involved?

Only if the project funding target is reached in full - we charge 5% of the project funding raised. The project is charged a one off subscription fee of £3.50. If funding isn't successful, there are no charges at all.

What do Supporters do?

Offer constructive comments, scrutiny, and practical help such as raising awareness if you can. Choose a credible project manager or flag up anything inappropriate. You can only support a project once.

What do Contributors do?

Help projects listed reach their funding targets and become a reality. A Contributor is automatically a Supporter too. You can contribute as many times as you want.

Can a Project Manager contribute to their own project?

Project managers cannot use any PayPal account registered with us for the project leaders account for the purpose of donations to a project owned by the same project manager. We reserve the right to terminate any project where this is found to occur.

Do I get any equity, or any ownership rights in the projects l back?

No. Project managers retain control of their project at all times. The Project Manager does however undertake an obligation to you to deliver the specified project Goal once the project has received full funding. WeSayWePay has no claim on any rights or intellectual property.

What is a "gross" contribution?

Contributors’ will be able to see exactly what goes into the project kitty after the deduction of PayPal fees the "gross" amount is shown at the time of giving. For example, if you contribute £10.00, £9.46 will be added to the project's fund.

Can I withdraw my contribution or support?

Yes. You can withdraw funds at any time up to the final week of fundraising period. You can do this by going to “My Account.” You will see a "refund link" on your account page next to your contribution.

Why can I not see the "refund link" on my account page?

Contributions cannot be withdrawn during the final week of fund-rasing. This means you are committed but it doesn't mean you cannot be refunded if the full Project Amount is not reached. During the final week of the project users will not see the "refund link" instead but will see "Funds committed" on their account page.

What happens if Project Amount total is not reached?

You get your money back. Any contributions made to date will of course be refunded in full. See Why is the 'All or nothing' principle is important?

Starting a Project

Why do I have to get verified before Starting a project?

In order to create a project your PayPal account must be verified i.e. be a PayPal account with a bank account attached registered to a UK bank account and address. As part of registration for project managers, you’ll be asked to contribute a test amount of less than £1 to confirm this is the case.

How do I start a project?

Choosing a title

The “title” of your project will be displayed everywhere and read by search engines. So it is important to capture the purpose of the project succinctly. E.g. “Guest speaker for Waltham Forest, London NCT Group Parents” or “New Football shirts for the Holmbury Wolves under 12s, Dorking” - include location, activity (e.g. scouts), and, the purpose (e.g. Buying sandbags, the services of a guest speaker, etc.).

Why is a Project Amount and Deadline critical?

This is the most critical part of your planning as Project Manager. If successful by the Deadline, funds will be released to you. If not, all contributions are refunded. When creating the project set a Project Amount (a Sterling amount up to £250) and a Deadline (from 28 - 56 days). Remember the Project Amount entered will not show charges added until after submission. E.g. If your requirement is £250 the Project Amount displayed on your project page (including charges) will be £266. Set enough time aside to get the word about. You have up to 56 days to raise funds. After that you need to think about when specific things are delivered.

Why is a clear and credible Goal important?

This is the designated purpose of your project, specifying exactly how funds will be used. Expand on your title description here into more detail to state what you hope to achieve and when.

Tips for writing the project description

This is the "overview" of the project so it’s important to be clear, natural, honest and come across as bone fide but not over-familiar.
How did the idea just come to you? Did you do some research or is it something you've been hatching for ages?
Also, tell us the need your project meets making it clear just how interesting your project is you and how you'll be using the money.

Use photos, slideshows and videos. You can integrate this kind of content into your project description. It's an excellent way to bring your project to life for potential donors.

Remember you get the money at the end of this period to deliver your goal. So specify any relevant delivery dates separately after the fundraising period.

Choosing a Category

Please take time to look at our inspiration section and be sure to select from the dropdown the category that most closely resembles yours or choose "not sure." If there is any confusion feel free to drop us a line.

Help with entering your project links

We are big fans of media of any description - pictures, documents, video. Remember you can change them as often as you like especially if you have an update to describe or progress to report.

Project Documentation

Display any relevant documents such as estimates from professional suppliers or letters from the council to support your project. Here is a guide to recommended document sites like Google docs and Scribd where single or multiple document entries can be stored and efficiently accessed.

Project Image

Choose an existing online image that brings to life the project or puts in into context.

Ensure that it is high resolution as is possible, preferably not a thumbnail, expand the view to its maximum.

Right click to reveal drop down and select 'copy image URL'.

Press the “back button” to return to the 'Create a Project page'.

Scroll down to the image link box and paste in the copied URL.

You can test the link to make sure it works.

Project Video

A video of any description will greatly enhance your project copy and paste any video link url provided from Youtube or Vimeo and it will work fine.

Can I change my Project Amount?

No. Once a project launches, the Project Amount cannot be changed.

Can I change my project Goal, Deadline or Category?

No. Same, sorry.

What can be edited after launching?

Project description

Video, document, and, images

Links to any Twitter or Facebook pages for the project

The automatic inclusion of your profile

Your profile.

Can projects be edited after funding is completed?

No. Editing halts two weeks before the deadline and remains the case after funding is completed. You can however continue to respond to any queries and communicate with Supporters using the questions/ comments feature.

Can I run more than one project at once?

If your ‘credit’ limit extends to more than one project and meets our guidelines then that's fine.

Can I split up funding for the same project into several projects for each stage?

If each stage has a defined goal and occurs in a sequence with enough time between each stage it should be fine. Breaking up projects into discreet and focused stages can be beneficial.

Can a project be deleted?

No. Transparency is important so projects are archived for future viewing.

Can I retry my project if funding is unsuccessful?

No. Transparency is important so projects are archived for future viewing.

Managing a Project

Is the Project Manger also the Project Leader?

Yes. The terms are interchangeable.

Can I edit my project after launch?

Yes. You can edit descriptions and links to your project up to 2 weeks from the deadline date but some key fields are excluded.

What is excluded from editing?

You cannot edit the Project Amount, Goal, Category, or, Deadline.

How do I send/ receive project updates?

Use the questions/ comments feature to respond to any queries promptly to build a rapport. Answering promptly, politely and accurately also instills confidence and maintains interest. Edit the project description to update your supporters if you want to raise a point (until the last 2 weeks of fundraising deadline). Supporters will be notified automatically of anything they should know about such as comment updates.

Can a project manager terminate a project?

Yes. Though we would prefer you did not too often. This will automatically trigger a refund to anyone who has contributed.

Can a project owner cancel a project after it has received funding?

No. It is a condition of accepting funding that Project Managers undertake to deliver.

What should I do if a project changes during the funding process?

Project circumstances can change so inform your Supporters of any updates. They will be notified automatically of any material changes. If this impacts the project total, Goal, or, Deadline you need to think seriously about your ability to deliver and you may have to terminate the project. contact us if you want to discuss it.

What happens if a project reaches its Project Amount in full before the Deadline?

Nothing really. The Deadline cannot be changed. You could bring forward your plans for delivery but it is best to wait until funds are actually received.

Can projects Raise more than Project Amount?

Not at the moment. Collection of donations will stop at the exact amount requested.

Is there a maximum for how much a project can raise?

As we in Beta we are starting each Project Manger with a ‘credit' limit of £250, which, may increase over time, or, by arrangement only. If you need more let us know contact us and we will be happy to look into it.

If I am unable to complete my project as listed, what should I do?

If you fundamentally change your project, are unable to fulfil the promises made to Supporters, or decide to abandon the project for any reason, you are expected to cancel funding and terminate the project before the deadline. A failure to do so could result in damage to your reputation or even legal action.

Account Settings

How do I satisfy the requirement for a verified PayPal account?

As part of registration for project managers,
you’ll be asked to contribute a test amount of less than £1 to confirm
and vaildate that your PayPal account is verified (i.e. has a bank attached).

On
registering simply click the button marked “Get Verified.” You will be
asked to confirm a transaction of up to £1 through PayPal's system for which
you will require your PayPal login details to hand. Press the “Return to
WeSayWePay” button to continue. You will recieve confirmation by email
of both receipt and refund, by PayPal, and by us. Please allow up to 2
days if you are not refunded straightaway.

Entering your account links and profile details

You'll inspire confidence in more people if you include a few words about yourself. You're the project owner and that means you're the secret to its success. Your potential donors know this, and will be curious about the person behind the project... Your motivations, your experience,etc..

The more information you provide, the easier it will be to get people interested in your project, and the more likely it is they'll help you. Please include the full "http://www." url address for all links.

Entering your account/project links

We recommend you include the following:

Your Website

This could be one at work or one that is not related to work that you are comfortable with Supporters accessing.

Your photo

As Project Manager a favoured picture of yourself can lend impact to your project.

Choose an existing online image you like of yourself, (in the interest of representing yourself as bone fide, we suggest not cartoon or fictional!).

Ensure that it is high resolution as is possible, preferably not a thumbnail, expand the view to its maximum.